Wine of the Week: Spring Mountain Vineyard 2010 Estate Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon $75

Spring Mountain Vineyard delivers a memorable, mouth-watering Cabernet that can be a Holiday Table centerpiece

by Dwight Casimere

ST. HELENA,CA--This pre-Christmas Day weekend is the perfect time to buy one of the best Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon's in recent memory, Spring Mountain 2010 Estate Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon. This lush, full-bodied wine is a natural accompaniment to the Holiday meal and its elegant structure and flavor will make it the centerpiece of your dining experience. At $75, it's actually a steal, considering its exceptional taste.There are Napa Valley Cabs that cost a great deal more that proved to be not nearly as interesting.  With its flavors of black cherries and cranberries with hints of nutmeg and cinnamon, it goes perfectly with Turkey and especially with a nice Crown Roast of Prime Beef. I had it with a Prime Porterhouse Steak brushed with fresh Rosemary branches I'd brought back from Italy and drizzled with Roman olive oil. The kaleidoscope of flavors was astounding. I stored the remaining wine for the next day's meal, which was grilled lamb chops marinated in garlic butter. The wine had become even more complex and flavorful, revealing dark chocolate hints, mocha and a lingering taste of cardamom and the faint aroma of crushed American Beauty roses. It was an unforgettable gourmet experience.   The winemakers, in fact, suggest decanting the wine before serving in order to allow its fullest expression. Spring Mountain Vineyard is one of the most beautifully appointed estates in the Napa Valley. It certainly is a must-see on your next visit to Napa Valley. With is 845-acre estate on the eastern slope of Spring Mountain, it's wines are produced entirely from grapes grown on the estate.  Spring Mountain Vineyard 2010 Estate Bottled Cabernet Sauvignon is a spectacular wine. It would even make a greatly appreciated gift that the recipients will thank you for long after the embers from the Yuletide Log have disintegrated into ashes. Better yet, buy a bottle for yourself and enjoy by a crackling fire while relaxing amongst the Holiday remains of crumpled wrapping paper and twinkling tree lights.